How to Prepare for the Arrival of a Newly-Adopted Dog

Welcoming an adopted dog to your home can truly be an amazing experience. Just think about it, you would be able to give a pet a better life AND you get to have a lovable new family member.

While waiting for your new dog to be taken home from the shelter, you have to do some preparatory steps to make sure that your new pet will feel safe and comfortable in their new home with you.

Preparing your home and your family members won’t only make your house a safe place to live in for your dog, it will also save you from some problems that may arise in the future.

Pet Proofing

One of the first things you should do in preparation for your dog coming home is to pet proof your home. Dogs, especially puppies, often wander around and chew on random things. Dogs are energetic creatures, so they might also break some of your items if you haven’t prepared enough.

Make sure that you deal with any cords that are lying around in the house and keep breakable items away from where your puppies are allowed to wander off to inside your house.

Keep soaps and other chemical items at elevated storage spaces where your dogs won’t be able to reach them.

Store your shoes, bags, books, and other personal items in safe places, where your dogs won’t be able to find them. Puppies love to chew on things.

Buying Pet Essentials

Since you are welcoming a new family member, you should treat your new dog as such. Make sure you have all the essential items before your dog arrives, such as a bed, grooming items, first aid kit, chew toy, leash or harness, identification, collar, food bowl, and food.

Scheduling a Visit to the Vet

You should also schedule a visit to the veterinarian to make sure your dog undergoes a check up. This will let you know early on if your dog is completely healthy or if it has any medical condition. If your pet was not vaccinated yet, this is also your chance to have your dog vaccinated by the vet.